Fishing lures come in all shapes and sizes. One type of fishing lure is a jig head, which has a head and a hook extending from the aft end of the head. The shank of the hook trails back of the head, while the bend of the hook curves up and the point points forward in the general direction of the head. The jig head can be outfitted with a variety of accessories, such as streamers, slabs, other lures, etc.
When the jig head is retrieved, the hook points forward in the direction of retrieve. Consequently, the hook tends to become snagged on objects, such as submerged brush, branches, etc. In fishing, many fish are found among underwater structures such as brushy areas, raising the possibility of the lure and its hook becoming snagged.
In the prior art, lures have been equipped with one or more wires or bristles that extend from the lure head rearwardly toward the point of the hook. These wires or bristles form brush or weed guards. These brush or weed guards work well if the jig is retrieved in an upright configuration. However, if the hook lays over on its side, as it commonly does on retrieve, it can become snagged on an underwater object. For example, the fishing line attached to the lure may run over a tree limb or a brush limb. When the fishing rod is pulled to retrieve the lure, as it is pulled over the limb, the lure lays over on its side wherein the hook snags the limb.
In the prior art, fishermen have to spread the brush guard laterally, usually by inserting a finger or a tool. However, once spread, the brush guard bristles return to their unsplit configuration once the finger or tool is removed. Some fishermen put some glue to hold the bristles apart. However, this is time consuming and does not always hold.